Hiking Glastonbury Tor: A Guide to Somerset’s Hill of Myth and Legend

Rising dramatically from the flat, misty expanses of the Somerset Levels, Glastonbury Tor is one of the most striking and enigmatic landmarks in the United Kingdom.

Standing entirely alone, crowned by a solitary roofless stone tower, this little hill possesses a magnetic quality that has captured the human imagination for thousands of years.

To understand the Tor, you have to look at the etymology of the county itself. Thousands of years ago, before modern drainage systems tamed the land, the Somerset Levels were completely underwater for large portions of the year.

The Tor was an island, rising safely out of the flooded plains.

It is widely believed that the name “Somerset” originates from the Old English for “Summer Settlement”—a reflection of the ancient peoples who farmed the lowlands during the dry months but retreated back to the safety of the high hills when the winter deluges arrived.

Today, the sea has been pushed back, but the sense of isolation and mystery remains.

Whether you are a hiker chasing panoramic views across three counties, a history enthusiast, or a pilgrim tracking ancient folklore, walking up Glastonbury Tor is an unforgettable British experience.

The Route: Walking from Town to Tower

Because there is no parking at the base, the classic and most rewarding way to experience the Tor is to start right from the heart of Glastonbury town.

From the High Street, follow the signs past the historic Abbey towards Chalice Well Lane. The walk leads you down a gently rising pavement before bringing you to the northern entrance of the Tor at Stone Down Lane.

The ascent itself is a short, sharp shock to the cardiovascular system.

The National Trust manages the site beautifully, providing clear stone and concrete steps to prevent erosion.

As you climb, the wind begins to pick up, and the town of Glastonbury slowly shrinks below you.

On a clear day, once you reach the summit ridge, you are rewarded with a spectacular, uninterrupted 360-degree panorama stretching across Somerset, Dorset, and Wiltshire.

The Architectural Icon: St. Michael’s Tower

The roofless stone monument that commands the summit is St. Michael’s Tower, the lone surviving remnant of a 14th-century church.

The hill’s exposed summit has always been a perilous place to build.

The original 12th-century wooden church was completely destroyed by a massive, rare UK earthquake in 1275.

The stone church built to replace it survived until 1539, when it was systematically pulled down during King Henry VIII’s brutal Dissolution of the Monasteries.

The tower carries a grim historical weight: it was on this exact summit that Richard Whiting, the last Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey, was dragged up the hill and executed by the Crown for treason.

Today, the roofless tower stands empty, acting as a dramatic frame for the shifting Somerset skies and a haven for photographers capturing the morning sun.

The Mysteries: Labyrinths, King Arthur, and the Holy Grail

You cannot walk up the Tor without confronting the deep layers of myth that cling to its slopes.

Whether you look at history through a factual lens or appreciate the culture surrounding alternative folklore, the stories are mesmerizing.

The Terraced Labyrinth

As you look at the Tor from a distance, you will notice distinct, stepped terraces encircling the hill like rings.

For decades, archaeologists have argued over their origin. Some claim they are the remnants of medieval farming practices, while others believe they are a natural geological phenomenon.

However, a popular alternative theory dates these terraces back to the time of Stonehenge, suggesting they form a complex, three-dimensional ancient labyrinth or maze path used for spiritual rituals.

The Isle of Avalon

To lovers of Arthurian legend, Glastonbury Tor is the strongest contender for being the fabled Isle of Avalon.

In the old tales, this was the mystical island where King Arthur’s legendary sword, Excalibur, was forged, and the place where the king was carried to heal after his final battle.

In the late 1100s, Monks at the nearby Abbey claimed to have excavated the actual graves of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere right within the grounds.

The Holy Grail and the Thorn Tree

Another heavy branch of folklore connects the Tor to early Christianity.

Legend states that Joseph of Arimathea arrived here by boat holding the Holy Grail. As he stepped onto the hill opposite the Tor (now known as Wearyall Hill), he struck his wooden staff into the earth.

By the next morning, the staff had miraculously taken root and grown into the famous Glastonbury Thorn, a unique species of hawthorn that blossoms twice a year—once in spring, and once exactly at Christmastime.

This deep spiritual connection is what inspired the poet William Blake to pen the verses of Jerusalem, England’s iconic alternative national anthem:

And did those feet in ancient time Walk upon England’s mountains green: And was the holy Lamb of God, On England’s pleasant pastures seen!

At the Base: The White Spring and Chalice Well

Once you descend the stone steps back to the bottom of the hill, your exploration shouldn’t stop.

Nestled right at the foot of Wellhouse Lane are two completely contrasting water sources that have drawn pilgrims for millennia:

The Chalice Well: A beautiful, peaceful garden centered around a natural spring that flows with iron-rich, red-tinted chalybeate water, historically associated with the blood of Christ and the hidden Holy Grail.

The White Spring: Sitting directly opposite the Chalice Well is a cavernous, dark stone temple housing a subterranean spring of cold, calcium-rich white water.

The fact that two completely different water systems flow out from the base of the exact same little hill just yards apart adds a final, brilliant layer of mystery to the landscape.

Glastonbury Tor is a humbling, beautiful reminder of how closely history, nature, and human storytelling are intertwined.

It demands a steady set of legs to climb, but standing at the base of St. Michael’s Tower with the Somerset wind in your face is a classic British walk that never fails to inspire.